Gdf Suez will create more than 80 jobs by bringing its UK exploration and production (E& P) operational centre to Scotland.

The energy provider is investing around £6million after securing a 10-year lease at Union Plaza in Aberdeen.

Rob Buchan has been hired as E& P UK operations manager and general manager of the operational centre in the city.

Now, the 54-year-old is responsible for all of the company's E& P operational activity in the UK North Sea including asset management, drilling and production operations, subsea, development and procurement activity.

Buchan, formerly of BP, will also help manage stakeholder engagement and business development through organic growth and acquisition.

He said: "This is a major move for the company but at the same time, a logical one.

"The North Sea is a key growth region for GDF with our offshore interests spanning more than 35 exploration and development blocks across the West of Shetland, Central and Southern North Sea basins.

"We operate 15 of these 35 blocks, two of which include the Cygnus and Juliet fields which are significant North Sea discoveries.

"With these fields now approaching development approval, we are positioning ourselves to harness opportunities in the North Sea energy market."

Buchan said choosing the north east of Scotland was the sensible choice for GDF.

He added:"The rationale for establishing our operations centre in Aberdeen is strate-gic. It's important for us to be able to build the appropriate resource infrastructure and skills set to exploit the market, develop competency and build a track record.

"We are evolving from a subsurface focused organisation into a fully-integrated operational company and as part of that we need to create networks and develop mutually beneficial relationships with all stakeholders in the UKCS.

"Gdf Suez plans to become an impor-tanproducer in the UK North Sea and will play a significant role in its future development and longevity.

"We are investing approximately £6m in our move to Aberdeen and to support that we are currently on a recruitment drive in the region.We have plans to employ a stable of up to 80 staff in the next 12 months to support our growth ambitions and enhance our North Sea operations."

Rene Montaz, managing director of GDF SUEZ E& P UK, said: "Aberdeen is viewed as the oil-and-gas capital of Europe and it's important for our UK North Sea operations team to be located there to support our ambitions for industry integration and meet the procurement and technical demands of operational activity."